scurf

American  

[skurf] / skɜrf /

noun

1. the scales or small shreds of epidermis that are continually exfoliated from the skin.

2. any scaly matter or incrustation on a surface.

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scurf British  

/ skɜːf /

noun

1. another name for dandruff

2. flaky or scaly matter adhering to or peeling off a surface

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Other Word Forms

• scurflike adjective
• scurfy adjective

Etymology

Origin of scurf

before 1000; Middle English, Old English < Old Norse skurfa scurf, crust

Example Sentences

As instances of this nature may be mentioned English potato scab, silver scurf, chestnut blight disease and citrus canker, specimens of all of which had been secured by correspondence or requests for mycological assistance.

From Scientific American

There is some empirical proof that a big mess can be the sign of a creative mind, and that a swirl of scurf and funk can give birth to history-changing ideas.

From New York Times

The riverbank, eroded by powerful marine engines, has been shored up with metal pilings below scruffy new buildings, and the primary rainforest has been replaced by a thin scurf of secondary growth.

From The Guardian

So now, when some drab functionary presents himself as speaking for the party, he is no more than scurf on a sea of money handed out by any opinionated casino magnate.

From The Guardian

This kind of attention-demanding scurf only makes the online experience more confusing and less desirable, and the cycle begins again.

From Forbes